VS Qualifiers Update

The VSG qualifiers have drawn to a close, teams have been informed of their divisions and we’re all set to take on the next challenge: The VSG Leagues. With leg one looming over us in just a few weeks, let’s look back on the progress made by our very own teams and see how they faired in their qualifiers.

Somnium

The road to premier division has not been an easy one for team Somnium. With their captain’s move to New Zealand looming over their heads for almost a year, they knew big changes were going to be needed. By the beginning of 2018, it seemed an entire team restructure was necessary. Their entire line-up, save for 2 people, had an overhaul. Three times, in fact. The first overhaul group had one member that needed to be replaced, but the team mates followed him out the door. The second overhaul caused a bit of a tension in the community as one of the members was a known ex-hacker with many believing he still was. He was asked to leave and, as before, the rest left with him. With the third and final overhaul, a team was made mere days before roster locks were put in place and with a concerted effort from the whole team, premier division was achieved.

During the qualifiers, their first match-up was against BPD and they took the victory with a 2-0. This put them up against Ventus, their first hurdle this VS season. A disappointing 2-1 loss, but a close game nonetheless. That loss meant they would play one more game in the group stages, again playing BPD who won their second game. Somnium once again took the win with 2-0, moving onto the elimination round.

Their first game in the elimination round was against eLement-Element, another 2-0 victory, moving them to the next elimination. They had one last game to play to decide their fate – would they end in premier division or first division? A stressful game against BcS Bacon Squad ensued. Somnium took first map and things were looking good, Bacon Squad came back and took second map. Down to the wire, this is where the game gets interesting … Somnium taking third map for 2-1 victory and a one-way ticket to premier division!

“Although we had a very rough start for us since last year March and a lot of struggling lineups, I managed to pull together a lineup that performed when it mattered. Although we had troubles in the group stages when lost a game we should have had in the bag versus Ventus, we stepped it up and by the first round of eliminations we took down Element which really was the turning point for us – premier division was in sight. Winning our 2nd game with a narrow 2-1 victory over Bacon Squad secured us a premier division spot. The whole team and myself are more than proud of what we have achieved.” – LogiCs, Captain

Competence

For Competence, this is year has been a big step. They ended the 2017 season still in the ladder, and they started the 2018 season with a fire, ready to storm their way to victory! However, as is always bound to happen at the start of a year, there were many teams that lost players, disbanded or for some reason or another became defunct. It was to their dismay that for the whole first stage of the qualifiers, every team in their pool was one of those very teams. They had worked hard, ready to fight their way to the top, only to be greeted by forfeited games. While this secured their spot in the elimination round, it was but a hollow victory, and afforded them no time to break in their newest member. They entered the elimination stage having played no official games prior, but despite that they managed to win their very first match with a satisfactory 2-0 victory, securing their spot in first division. Their next match-up would not be as easy, as they were to take on White Rabbit Gaming. Unfortunately, this game would be the end of their run in the qualifiers, but with a first division spot we are confident they will do well going forward. Some may say it was pure luck that got them into first division, but their skill in the coming legs will soon prove the naysayers wrong!

“For VS Gaming we were feeling confident and knew we could make it out groups. In the end we never got to play a single game in the group stages which probably did more harm than good since we picked up a new player going into the league and could have used the game time. We came out the group in first having played not a game. We drew Nibble Conspire in the first bracket game and we went into the game confident. We closed the series out 2-0 and then drew WRG. Vibes going into WRG were mixed as we had beaten them in a BO1 late last year but a BO3 is a different story. The mixed worry and confidence showed and we ended up losing the series 2-0 with both maps going 16-8. In the end we secured a spot in First Division and are looking to work our way up next season.” – Owmo, Captain

Prominence and Vindicātus are brand new to the Omnius Gaming roster and our very first League of Legends teams. Having joined us only earlier this year, we were anxious to see how they would perform in the VS Gaming League under the Omnius banner. They did not disappoint.

Prominence

Prominence made their Omnius Gaming debut in the VS Gaming League of Legends qualifiers and started off strong with a 2-0 win against GenX Black Widow. They then moved on to their next game – this time against GenX South Side Gaming. While they showed dominance versus one GenX team, they were bested by the second, taking a 2-0 loss. Thankfully, all was not lost as their next game was against GenX Black Widow once again. They showed that their first win was not a fluke, and again took a 2-0 victory, moving on the elimination stages.

Unfortunately, team Prominence meet the end of their qualifier climb when they faced off against DsResolve. A disappointing 2-0 loss, they just missed first division.

However, Prominence has not been deterred. A satisfactory placement in second division, along with a burning desire to climb the ranks, this team has all the determination to make it to the top. We at Omnius Gaming are looking forward to seeing them play in the league and we know we will soon be celebrating a promotion to premier division!

“Knocked out in Qualifiers 2 first round. Well it was a bit of a seesaw ride for us winning and losing but from out of the loses we learnt valuable information about our weakness and we are now focusing on trying to strengthen these areas. We have also now gauged the level of the premier and 1st division teams and no matter how long it takes we will be making our way up to them on our journey to get stronger.” – Demonictouch, Captain

Vindicātus

Like Prominence, Vindicātus made their Omnius Gaming debut in the 2018 VS Gaming League qualifiers. Having never had a League of Legends team join our roster before, we were anxious to see how this team would do. Their first game was against -VXL- Puddle Knights and unfortunately, despite their best efforts, this game went to Puddle Knights. A 2-0 loss for Vindicātus, they knew their next game would be and important one if they were to stay in the running for a spot in one of the divisions. However, their next game was not to be played - Jolly Jammers was their next opponent but they were unable to play the match on the hardbooked date and time. No other arrangements were made by them and they were forced to forfeit. This meant that Vindicātus had one game left to secure a spot in a division. Their next game was against [EG]Kuroõkami, and the pressure was on. Despite knowing it was a make-or-break game and the stress that comes with that knowledge, they powered through for a 2-0 victory, securing their spot in second division! Once again, it came down to a make-or-break game - would they join the ranks of first division, or would their climb be cut short in second?

Their first game in the elimination round would ultimately be their last. They were matched up against TcR.Prominence and despite playing their hardest, they came back with a 2-0 loss. They ended in second division, along with their brother team, Prominence. We are very proud, keep it up guys! We want to see you both in first division as soon as possible!

Ominence

Ominence has defined the phrase “something from nothing.” This team started out their Overwatch career as a team that made second division by default and that ended the last season as one of the lowest ranked teams in the league. Through all the negativity and the hurdles and the struggles, they have risen from the ashes and claimed their spot as a premier division team! This team knows what hard work and dedication can bring and they have shown the whole clan what can be achieved if you only believe in yourselves and work as hard as you possibly can. We could not be prouder of all that Ominence has achieved in such a short space of time.

In the qualifiers, Ominence started strong and ended strong. Their first game was against Goyong, a fairly new team on the scene. A solid 3-0 victory for Ominence, and they moved on to their next game versus team Prodigy from the Rez clan. This is a new team but with mostly already existing Rez Overwatch players. It was an insanely close game and had us all waiting with baited breath! The game was played on a Thursday, Ominence taking 2 maps and Prodigy taking 2 maps. As they were about to play their very last map, the map that would decide everything, an Overwatch update started and kicked half the players off the server! We were left waiting until the next night for them to play so we could finally find out the result … After an immensely stressful 2 days, and insane effort from both teams, Ominence pushed all the way into overtime and managed to bring home the win – a 3-2 victory to team Ominence, securing their spot in the elimination round.

By this point, it was clear they had a spot in at least first division and even if they ended there, we would have been immensely proud of them. First division was not enough for these guys, they were determined to prove themselves. Their first elimination match was against iVe-Clockwork, the team against whom they played their very first scrim almost a year ago. They took the 3-0 win and firmly secured their place in premier division. Well played Ominence, if there was a prize for most improved team, it would surely be yours!

“I feel that my team has accomplished alot over the past few months and has grown into a premier division team. Going forward into prem is going to be a massive learning experience. However it's going to offer us a lot of experience in dealing with mechanically skilled teams.” – Seraphim, Captain

Interitus

Interitus was born from two Ominence players who wanted to branch out and try to make a new team that would also take their place amongst the premier teams. It has been a rough road for them, cycling through a myriad of players: some who lacked commitment, others that lacked time, and still others that could not get along with some on the roster. They finally found a team that they believed worked and they were proud of their new players. However, shortly into the qualifiers, after rosters were locked, one member decided to leave and this made things very difficult for Interitus. They already faced issues with their co-captain being out of the country, and having a sub play for him in the meantime. This loss of a player meant their second sub was forced to play main and this left them without a sub. They found a new member to join their roster but he would have to wait until rosters unlocked again. Regardless of all these hiccoughs, Interitus managed to pull through to first division.

As they prepared for their first game in the qualifiers, it became clear that their opponents, Val 2.0 V?, was a defunct team. Shortly before their match was due to be played, they received a message from VS admin confirming that V? had indeed asked for their team to be removed from the league as they did not have enough players. The first game for Interitus was effectively a bye round. There was not time to celebrate though – their second game was to be played against PLT.Pulse Gaming, currently ranked as the second best Overwatch team in the country. There was no surprise when they were beaten 3-0 by Pulse, the skill gap was just far too great for a brand new team, right out the box. All was not lost for team Interitus though, as their third match was again against V?, which afforded them another effective bye round. First division was theirs.

That would be sadly be the end of their qualifier road, as their elimination game was to be played against Boostios, another top 5 Overwatch team. This game was where their roster issue manifested itself. The sub that was playing main had not had internet for the entire weekend and this game was set to be played on a Sunday. The race was on to find out if they would need to forfeit or if the match could be postponed. Luckily, Boostios was understanding and agreed to postpone, but trying to find an admin on a Sunday evening was no easy task. The time for their game came and went and they were worried that they would indeed need to forfeit, however, admin came back and told them they would allow the postponement – the game could go ahead that evening. First map they managed to take a point off Boostios which was a huge achievement for a new team taking on one of the Overwatch SA big 5. That was to be the end of their progress though, as Boostios came back hard. A disappointing, while expected, 3-0 loss to Boostios. With that, their qualifiers were over.

“We’ve placed in first division, though mainly due to a team dropping out of the league and that happened to be in our bracket. While we may not stay in first division after the first leg, I am confident that we will find our way back very quickly. We are growing every day and starting to, if not beat higher ranked teams, at least taking points off them which is huge progress for a team only 2 months old. I’m very proud to co-captain this team and I look forward to our coming matches. It’s going to be an awesome year!” – NaoriMizuki, Co-Captain

Our Dota 2 teams, Desolation and Fragment, had the unfortunate luck of being placed in the same bracket during the group stages of the VS Gaming qualifiers. This meant that where one team would rise, the other would fall, but regardless of that these two teams maintain good relations and have taken the experience as a learning curve. Despite the unlucky start, they both went on to make us all proud!

Desolation

Desolation, like many other teams in the Omnius roster, ended the last season in the ladder. It can be a daunting experience, knowing you ended in the lowest bracket and now trying to climb your way to the top … or so one would think. Hard Work And Determination is the name of the game, and it’s a game this team played well.

Starting off in qualifiers, they were forced to face off against brother team Fragment. Even though they were faced off against friends, colleagues, brothers in their clan, they didn’t hold back. They played as well as they could, but unfortunately they came up second best. A 2-0 loss was the final result, but that was merely the beginning of their road. Their next game was against Cosmic Buddha and instead of letting their prior defeat hold them back, it gave them strength and resolve. They came back with a 2-0 victory, and the chance to join one of the divisions was in sight, their next game would be the decider. They were due to play Inex_Sins Inexorable Sins, who had just lost to Fragment. They would not be held back, and once again came back with a 2-0 victory! Now they needed to prove themselves in the single elimination round.

Their first elimination match was against [KbNC] Killed by Neutral Creeps, and their momentum just kept going! A 2-0 victory with staggering scores of 39-6 and 47-28, Desolation seemed unstoppable! Sadly their incredible streak came to an end in their next game against Band of Brothers. A heartbreaking 2-0 loss to Desolation, but a golden spot in first division was theirs. We look forward to seeing how they do in the coming legs.

“I have high hopes for Desolation as we have achieved our goal for qualifying for 1st Division. The current team has been playing more consistently whilst improving mentally and adapting to recent role changes. We’ll be looking to gain strength and more confidence from the upcoming weeks before the official leg has begun by going up against our division opponents.” – Maru, Captain

Fragment

One of the newer teams to join the Omnius Gaming roster in November last year, we didn’t know what to expect as the qualifiers began. Their first game of the season was against their brother team, Desolation. While neither team was particularly excited to have to play against their own clan, they took the challenge in stride as there was nothing to be done but to play, and to play with all their might. That is exactly what Fragment did as they took their first win in the 2018 season, with a 2-0 victory against Desolation. While they felt for their brother team, they could not contain their happiness at winning their first game, and moved into their second game with continued vigor. This game was to be played against Inex_Sins Inexorable Sins, and they stepped up to the challenge, knowing that winning this game would be an immediate promotion to the elimination stage. It was a fiercely important game for Fragment. A fierce game was played, and through quick thinking and determination, they took the win, another 2-0 victory for Fragment! They were now on their way to the elimination stage.

Their first game was going to be a big one, their opponents: Evolution E-Sports Evo. It was with great trepidation that they prepared for this match, but also a great excitement knowing they were so close to their goal: a spot in first division. Unfortunately, roster issues got in the way and Evo were forced to forfeit. Elated at being promoted to first division, Fragment were gutted and unsure of whether they deserved to be in first division purely because of a forfeit. It was then that Evo asked for a friendly scrim, which Fragment accepted. A decisive 2-0 victory proved to them that yes, they did indeed belong among the first division teams. One game lay before them in order to become a premier division team, but their way was barred by [LP] LeetPro.Dota2. Not a team to be taken lightly, they took a solid 2-0 victory over Fragment. Thus ended Fragment’s climb, but they ended in first division and are another team that we at Omnius Gaming are immensely proud of!

“Our team is doing very well at the moment, we were confident in all our match-ups and we knew we had the required skills to win the games and to advance through to first division. Now, our focus is to do well in first division and hopefully with a lot of practice we will soon find ourselves in the premier division.” - Fightmaster, Captain.

All in all, it’s been a crazy ride for all of our teams. Many up, many downs, emotions were high and the teams are left in good spirits awaiting the first leg of the VS Gaming League. Rosters have been unlocked, allowing captains to finalise any team changes, and prepare themselves fully for what is to come. Omnius teams placed in the following divisions:

GG WP to each and every one of our teams and players, and an extra thank you to the captains for all your hard work. These teams wouldn’t be where they are without your time, effort and guidance.

Finally, the biggest thank you of all from everyone in the Omnius Gaming family to our clan leader, Papa Monix, a.k.a Demonix. None of this would be possible if not for your time, generosity, attentiveness and design skills! You made this all happen with your vision and we will always be grateful..